If you have it, have had it, are pretty sure you have it, tell us about it?

[Oula]

How are you doing now Oula? Hope you've been taking it easy.

Thanks for asking.

I feel like I've really turned a corner in the last week. Much less fatigued (probably now almost a normal level of homeschooling, relentless parenting and not sleeping enough tiredness). I'm still aware of my joints but they are much less bad, only fingers and feet hurt now and in a way that is less intrusive. I'm getting out and walking more. I managed a two hour walk on Saturday! I was fine all the time I was doing it and only a bit sore afterwards. That was unthinkable a couple of weeks ago.

I also just feel more like myself again, in a harder to explain way. I've been able to have a little drink, been able to enjoy my hobbies again, been able to chat to people on zoom without feeling like I'm some type of weird shadow of myself.

So much improved and I'm so relieved.

I didn't really get to take it that easy because of the kids, but we managed. I've got a big photoshoot this week and feel confident I'll actually be able to do it. I haven't been well enough to work for two months (not all covid - was ill with something else first).

I hope everyone else who was ill around the same time as me (it seems like there were a lot of us) is also turning a corner.

 

[Brainaddict]

That's good to hear, careful not to overdo it with work! I see you're a freelancer and lost some work due to covid, hope you've managed to get some of the freelancer grants the govt has been uncharacteristically handing out.

 

[Oula]

That's good to hear, careful not to overdo it with work! I see you're a freelancer and lost some work due to covid, hope you've managed to get some of the freelancer grants the govt has been uncharacteristically handing out.

Many thanks.

Luckily I didn't lose work due to having covid myself. I did lose one job due to the leg infection before but it was a small job, so not too bad.

I don't think I'm entitled to any money because I have the "being the director of a limited company and employing myself" thing going on. I did look into furloughing myself but I have another strand to the business that requires mostly minimal effort and had kept some money coming in. So I don't think I can claim anything, but luckily I've been alright financially.

It's a good reminder to be careful though. I did two photoshoots while I had my leg infection and properly fucked myself up doing them. I cancelled one but I really shouldn't have done the others. It was quite scary getting iller and iller through the shoots but I knew they'd be the last ones of the year and didn't want to let anyone down

I did arrange to do my upcoming shoot as two half days instead of one full day as I knew I wouldn't have the stamina for that.

 

[weltweit]

Glad to hear you are on the mend Oula

 

[ska invita]

Just to say I have been taking the niacin regime advocated here and in various places: The Team of Front-line Doctors and Biohackers Who Seem to Have Solved “Long Covid”

And it seems to have really helped a lot with my fatigue and post-exertional malaise. I added in 5-htp since the theory is you get a seratonin shortage, and I think that also helped.

ive picked up all the necessary vitamins you recommended and I dont know if its coincidence but I have felt an almost immediate (next day) effect in terms of energy levels - quite incredible the difference! I am at the 5 week mark (i appreciate that's only just on the verge of long covid) so maybe im getting better anyway, but so far im very impressed with the vitamin regime.

the thing that is frustrating me now is breathing. yesterday i felt genuinely good all daytime- energy was fine and no breathing problems at all, and then at around 8pm the breathing problems kicked in again and i've woken up in the same state. I find the way it comes and goes quite confusing.

one question to anyone reading this who has an opinion - i was given the option of taking antibiotics for any potential lung infection but declined for now.
my reasoning is if there were a lung infection i would feel it all the time, whereas what i have comes and goes (well, it goes if i dont talk to anyone and dont do much and dont generally exert my breathing). I Is this poor reasoning?
How much do my symptoms match common passage of the virus?

 

[Miss-Shelf]

The intermittent nature of the symptoms is well documented with long covid
Especially if its cos the symptoms are coming on after any mild exertion

What are the breathing symptoms you get?

 

[Brainaddict]

ive picked up all the necessary vitamins you recommended and I dont know if its coincidence but I have felt an almost immediate (next day) effect in terms of energy levels - quite incredible the difference! I am at the 5 week mark (i appreciate that's only just on the verge of long covid) so maybe im getting better anyway, but so far im very impressed with the vitamin regime.

the thing that is frustrating me now is breathing. yesterday i felt genuinely good all daytime- energy was fine and no breathing problems at all, and then at around 8pm the breathing problems kicked in again and i've woken up in the same state. I find the way it comes and goes quite confusing.

one question to anyone reading this who has an opinion - i was given the option of taking antibiotics for any potential lung infection but declined for now.
my reasoning is if there were a lung infection i would feel it all the time, whereas what i have comes and goes (well, it goes if i dont talk to anyone and dont do much and dont generally exert my breathing). I Is this poor reasoning?
How much do my symptoms match common passage of the virus?

Glad the supplements are working for you. They have done a lot to relieve the fatigue with me but lately I have turned my attention to my lungs, as they still ache quite a lot and if I get out of breath I still get an energy relapse (this is ten months in). I'm taking an omega 3 supplement for the lungs tho don't know if that is doing anything. And recently I started breathing physio exercises, using videos from youtube. I think it's doing something useful. If you are not long recovered from the virus though you might want to wait before trying that, because rest is also very important at the beginning.

 

[ska invita]

The intermittent nature of the symptoms is well documented with long covid
Especially if its cos the symptoms are coming on after any mild exertion

What are the breathing symptoms you get?

thanks, thats reassuring - a worry is that im overlooking an infection, but I dont think I am
it usually doesnt feel that bad.
in general its
short of breath if talking a lot
occasional slightly numb feeling in some of the lungs, like something is in the bronchials
sometimes its feels like i have the lungs of an 8 year old - just not the capacity to breath fully, as if the lungs are too small for my body
i had asthma as a teen and at worst it feels like very mild asthmatic wheeziness

other times it feels pretty normal, which makes it confusing

Glad the supplements are working for you. They have done a lot to relieve the fatigue with me but lately I have turned my attention to my lungs, as they still ache quite a lot and if I get out of breath I still get an energy relapse (this is ten months in). I'm taking an omega 3 supplement for the lungs tho don't know if that is doing anything. And recently I started breathing physio exercises, using videos from youtube. I think it's doing something useful. If you are not long recovered from the virus though you might want to wait before trying that, because rest is also very important at the beginning.

god damn, ten months, i feel for you brainaddict
wishing you all the best

now ive got a bit of energy back i am going to do some very very mild exercise / 3 minutes of yoga what not
i even had it in me to do some pressups yesterday - i can feel a bit of muscle shrinkage kicking in as ive barely moved the last few weeks

 

[ska invita]

I hear a lot of contradictory things about vitamins - they dont work at all, theyre amazing, dont take too much etc

i picked up these from B Complex from Holland and Barrett, and I was a bit surprised by the percentage over NRV - 9000% of B1! 7000% of B6!
Sounds a bit overkill to me. I think B1 and B2 it really doesnt matter, but perhaps does more so with some others?

If that study you posted BA says 100mg of Niacin (which is the key one supposedly for Covid), then Im happy with that
Im getting on for vegan so I know B12 can be an issue for me - 4000% sounds a bit full on, but yeah I think Im feeling the difference

 

[Brainaddict]

Be aware that that H&B supplement says the niacin is nicotinamide, which is considered to be not as effective as the nicotinic acid form. The supplement regime recommended is the nicotinic acid. It's less common so you have to seek it out. I get mine from Health Leads.

 

[ska invita]

Be aware that that H&B supplement says the niacin is nicotinamide, which is considered to be not as effective as the nicotinic acid form. The supplement regime recommended is the nicotinic acid. It's less common so you have to seek it out. I get mine from Health Leads.

oh balls, i was aware of the proviso but it says Niacin on the back there gits
still i do think this is working
im going to get the acid too

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

thanks, thats reassuring - a worry is that im overlooking an infection, but I dont think I am
it usually doesnt feel that bad.
in general its
short of breath if talking a lot
occasional slightly numb feeling in some of the lungs, like something is in the bronchials
sometimes its feels like i have the lungs of an 8 year old - just not the capacity to breath fully, as if the lungs are too small for my body
i had asthma as a teen and at worst it feels like very mild asthmatic wheeziness

other times it feels pretty normal, which makes it confusing

god damn, ten months, i feel for you brainaddict
wishing you all the best

now ive got a bit of energy back i am going to do some very very mild exercise / 3 minutes of yoga what not
i even had it in me to do some pressups yesterday - i can feel a bit of muscle shrinkage kicking in as ive barely moved the last few weeks

I was given antibiotics because my symptoms were similar to that of a chest infection - having tested negative there was the possibility at the time it was something else.

Given that Covid can muck about with your immune system, it's also possible it was both - you may be more susceptible to a secondary infection too. You know how you feel better than anyone so your call, but if the ABs are there, might be worth taking them. Worst case scenario is a one-off course of unnecessary ABs, best case is it kick starts a better recovery.

 

[ska invita]

I was given antibiotics because my symptoms were similar to that of a chest infection - having tested negative there was the possibility at the time it was something else.

Given that Covid can muck about with your immune system, it's also possible it was both - you may be more susceptible to a secondary infection too. You know how you feel better than anyone so your call, but if the ABs are there, might be worth taking them. Worst case scenario is a one-off course of unnecessary ABs, best case is it kick starts a better recovery.

Thanks Zapp, yeah i think im going to hold off a bit longer - i've got the script if i want to use it- my intuition tells me its just covid, and i really hate antibiotics, they usually make me feel quite ill for a couple of weeks, so Im reluctant to just do it for the safe side. But im definitely keeping an eye on it. I wish there was a better way of telling. I think the fact I can go up to 2/3rds of the day and not feeling it suggests its not an infection. But yeah, need to be aware.

 

[izz]

Hello - woke up this morning with a headache, don't think my sense of taste is different but think my sense of smell is heightened, weirdly, feel a bit 'off' and quite out of it- anyone had a heightened sense of smell ? Sorry for not combing through the whole thread

 

[ska invita]

Hello - woke up this morning with a headache, don't think my sense of taste is different but think my sense of smell is heightened, weirdly, feel a bit 'off' and quite out of it- anyone had a heightened sense of smell ? Sorry for not combing through the whole thread

a google found one Covid related mention in the Express, but most common " an early symptom of pregnancy is a heightened sense of smell. "

 

[izz]

LOL ! I consider myself reassured, at least on the Covid front

 

[gentlegreen]

A heightened sense of smell for me always used to be a warning that a cluster headache was on the way - serotonin-related - like coming up on shrooms - perhaps it's similar with classic migraine ?
I've no idea why I no longer get those - they were replaced with similarly agonising sinusitis that was focussed on the same side of my head ...

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Hello - woke up this morning with a headache, don't think my sense of taste is different but think my sense of smell is heightened, weirdly, feel a bit 'off' and quite out of it- anyone had a heightened sense of smell ? Sorry for not combing through the whole thread

subject to the caveat that i've no medical qualifications whatsoever, but that doesn't sound uncommon for some forms of migraine

 

[prunus]

Hello - woke up this morning with a headache, don't think my sense of taste is different but think my sense of smell is heightened, weirdly, feel a bit 'off' and quite out of it- anyone had a heightened sense of smell ? Sorry for not combing through the whole thread

Heightened would count as changed I think, so would qualify for the symptom set under which one should get oneself tested, so if you can do that I would do so.

From the online booking:
“Use this service to order a test if you have at least one of these 3 coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• you’ve lost your sense of smell or taste or it’s changed”

You can book one through the app as well

 

[elbows]

A heightened sense of smell for me always used to be a warning that a cluster headache was on the way - serotonin-related - like coming up on shrooms - perhaps it's similar with classic migraine ?
I've no idea why I no longer get those - they were replaced with similarly agonising sinusitis that was focussed on the same side of my head ...

Yeah I get that as an advanced warning of migraine with aura, but not every time.

 

[ska invita]

ive been getting a little anxious about my heart the last few days
my pulse isnt high, but its higher than normal - mid 70s instead of 60 where it normally is
but the thing is i can 'feel' my heart - i cant describe it, it feels like its fluttering - like its struggling somehow.
its nowhere near that dramatic (i hope) , just wondering if anyone had anything similar / saw it documented.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

ive been getting a little anxious about my heart the last few days
my pulse isnt high, but its higher than normal - mid 70s instead of 60 where it normally is
but the thing is i can 'feel' my heart - i cant describe it, it feels like its fluttering - like its struggling somehow.
its nowhere near that dramatic (i hope) , just wondering if anyone had anything similar / saw it documented.

Yes, I had that. Resting pulse rate was up by 10-15; I had that fluttering feeling, but I put it down to the increased rate as much as anything.

If you ever go for a brisk walk and raise your heart rate by 20ish you can often feel it, so I just felt like I'd been doing near permanent low level exercise. This would also go some way to explaining the near permanent fatigue.

 

[ska invita]

Yes, I had that. Resting pulse rate was up by 10-15; I had that fluttering feeling, but I put it down to the increased rate as much as anything.

If you ever go for a brisk walk and raise your heart rate by 20ish you can often feel it, so I just felt like I'd been doing near permanent low level exercise. This would also go some way to explaining the near permanent fatigue.

i hate it makes me feel like im going to have a heart attack or something, and it feeds anxiety into the loop
im sure its fine though, just annoying like all of this is

 

[zahir]

ska invita - it might be worth talking to your GP about it to be on the safe side.

 

[ska invita]

ska invita - it might be worth talking to your GP about it to be on the safe side.

okay will do, i'll call 111 in a bit
i think a heart rate of 72BPM is seen as "healthy" - it just feels weird to me

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

okay will do, i'll call 111 in a bit
i think a heart rate of 72BPM is seen as "healthy" - it just feels weird to me

72 is healthy and normal, but it's not your healthy normal.

 

[ska invita]

72 is healthy and normal, but it's not your healthy normal.

exactly it feels racing to me and im continuously conscious of it - it feels stressed

 

[ska invita]

something i dont understand is if you are still ill weeks after the virus has passed is it a case of

a) your body is still doing important healing work to recover, and should be left to it, or

b) your body has got confused and is wrongly reacting to something that is no longer there. my understanding is this can happen with pain: sometimes your body will feel pain, but the source of the pain has passed - a bit like if a button gets stuck in a On position.

does anyone know?

-----
(by the way heart palpitations finally calmed down after 4 days - possibly exasperated by the vitamin b complex i started taking - ive stopped that for now)

 

[Brainaddict]

something i dont understand is if you are still ill weeks after the virus has passed is it a case of

a) your body is still doing important healing work to recover, and should be left to it, or

b) your body has got confused and is wrongly reacting to something that is no longer there. my understanding is this can happen with pain: sometimes your body will feel pain, but the source of the pain has passed - a bit like if a button gets stuck in a On position.

does anyone know?

-----
(by the way heart palpations finally calmed down after 4 days - possibly exasperated by the vitamin b complex i started taking - ive stopped that for now)

I think it's one of the many - fairly basic you'd think - things we don't know about post-viral illness. The lack of research is kind of nuts.

Sometimes I think my body is just confused, other times when my lungs hurt I wonder if it is all about the lungs still needing to heal. My doctor was as useful as a chocolate teapot in trying to work out which it is.

Glad to hear your heart is better.

 

[ska invita]

I think it's one of the many - fairly basic you'd think - things we don't know about post-viral illness. The lack of research is kind of nuts.

Sometimes I think my body is just confused, other times when my lungs hurt I wonder if it is all about the lungs still needing to heal. My doctor was as useful as a chocolate teapot in trying to work out which it is.

Glad to hear your heart is better.

also there's the option that its a bit of both.
yes i have the same thought process with lungs - it feels like there's something in there, so that cant be psychosomatic surely. but then that comes and goes too, so that casts doubt.
im going to try to tell my body that it might be over reacting a bit and that the threat has passed and see if it listens!!